In October 2020, the collection of Detroit-based Marygrove College Library, comprising more than 70,000 books and journals, starts a
new life online with the support of the Internet Archive. With the college closing in December 2019, concerns arose about the future of the library’s collection, which offers a uniquely African American perspective, reflecting the historical and cultural influences of its local community in Detroit. The importance of amplifying these voices led to the decision by the Board of Trustees to donate the full collection to Internet Archive, a non-profit library.
This original video, commissioned by the Internet Archive, commemorates the reopening of the Marygrove College Library.
“When I heard that the library was going to be digitized, I felt like it was going to be a stroke of genius, “ said poet, Valerie Deering, Marygrove College alumna Class of 1972. “That there was not going to be a book burning, that these books weren't going to end up at the Salvation Army where nobody really knew or understood or would appreciate what they've been to generations of students.”
The collection is now available for free through the Internet Archive’s website and will also be preserved in its physical archives. Internet Archive hopes that making the collection available online will expand access for marginalized groups such as those with disabilities that affect reading.
“A library is much more than the books on the shelves—it is the center of a community,” said Brewster Kahle, Internet Archive’s founder and digital librarian. “It reflects a history of a hundred years of interests and passions and collections that have been built by librarians, faculty, and students. Having that collection all online brings that community online, but also allows that artifact to be used by people all over the world. That is the idea of this next generation of Marygrove College Library.”
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Produced by
The Mercantile -- https://themercantile.agency
& Lone Pine Creative -- https://lonepinecreative.com)
Featuring
Valerie Deering
Brewster Kahle
Narrated by
Wendy Hanamura
Directed & Edited by
Rory Mitchell
Producer/2nd Unit Director (Detroit)
Dani Dabney
Director of Photography (Detroit)
Sean Mouton
Production Assistant (Detroit)
Kevin M Waltz
Written by
Wendy Hanamura & Rory Mitchell & Josh Kalven
Executive Producers
Wendy Hanamura
Josh Kalven
Rory Mitchell
Titles by Josh Kalven
Music composed by Dave “Mustang” Lang
Sound mix by Dave McKeever
Archival Materials Courtesy
Sisters of Immaculate Heart of Mary, Monroe, Mi.
Marygrove Conservancy
Walter P. Reuther Library, Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs,
Wayne State University
Additional Footage
Footage excerpted from the documentary “The Bookmakers” by James Kennard
© 2020 Petaluma Projects LLC
Jason Scott
Live Music
Archive
Librivox
Free Audio
Metropolitan Museum
Cleveland
Museum of Art
Internet
Arcade
Console Living Room
Open Library
American
Libraries
TV News
Understanding
9/11
